Small steps
by Marwari
Summary: In spite of getting off on the wrong foot Steve and Tony will slowly learn to trust and depend on each other. SLASH.
1. One hot Asgardian

**Yes, I know that you guys probably expected a Superbat fanfic from me and trust me, I'm working on one but...dammit, these two just keep distracting me! That's right, I'm talking about none other than the Captain America/Iron Man dynamic. Ever since I watched the Avengers (I MUST watch the Age of Ultron, still didn't manage to do so with life keeping me busy...) I can't stop thinking about them, all that sexual tension...and no debauchery to top it off, what a sin! The fact that it's Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. I'm talking about isn't helping either... I think it's safe to say that I blame Chris for making me like Capsicle. I'd say that I disliked the character for obvious reasons, but upon seeing Chris bring him to life I'm in love with both him and the actor behind him. (No need to say anything about Downey because he's just _that_ awesome.)**

 **So, anyway, this is obviously a slash fic about them, but unlike my previous ones, it's not a one-shot. I want to write it in chapters because I want to show you the entire progression from them disliking each other to becoming lovers. It's gonna take a long time to finish it, but I want them to have some non-fluffy, non-sexual fun also :)**

 **Here goes...**

* * *

Steve raised his head from the newspaper as he heard the sound of heavy steps stomping down the corridor.

"Greetings, Steven!" boomed a deep voice from the doorway.

"Hi, Thor. How-oh..." The Captain froze in the middle of a sentence. Thor was standing in front of an open fridge with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. "Out of the shower?"

"Indeed. The halls of Asgard offer a much colder climate." He popped open a can of beer and closed the fridge. "I am still getting used to this...conditioning of air in my quarters. I think that I broke it last time, but the Man of Iron said he could repair it."

"It's what he does." shrugged Steve.

"Correction, Capsicle. It's something I've done already." quipped Tony as he stepped inside. "Room's all yours, Viking."

"Thank you, my friend!" said Thor cheerfully. "I shall go." He nodded in Steve's general direction: "Steven."

"See you around, Thor." replied the Captain staring after him.

Tony poured himself a glass of orange juice and followed Steve's gaze. "Captain, behold...that ass." he said with a dramatic gesture towards the now empty doorway. "Sure, he does have a rather...flowery way of speaking but that body of his... Mmm. If only he were single, huh?"

Steve blinked with surprise. "Single? What are you talking about?"

"Come now, Cap. I've seen the way you oogled him ever since you first met him. Or should I say mentally undressed him? Yeah, that's much more fitting."

"Stark..."

"Nu-uh. You can't fool me, Rogers. I know a gay guy when I see one."

Steve blushed darkly. "This is a really bad joke, Stark. Even for you."

"Then why are you blushing?" nagged Tony. "Come on, there's nothing wrong with liking guys. The forties are over, Cap. No one's gonna lynch you for that."

Steve turned from red to burgundy. "You're not funny, Stark. Not one bit." He folded the newspaper shut and stomped out of the room.

Tony shouted after him: "That's it, run away from the truth, Rogers! Run before it bites you into your starry-striped ass!"

* * *

 **I'm sorry about this one being so short, the upcoming chapters will be longer, I promise. In the meantime, please review, I'm dying to know what you think :)**


	2. Vehement arguments

**Took quite a while to write and didn't turn out the best but here it comes...chapter 2! There's a lot of fighting (both verbal and non-verbal) involved in this one and quite a bit of sore Steve too (I only do it to him because I love him, I swear... *angelface*). It also turned out much longer than the first one so enjoy :)**

* * *

Steve grunted with pain as he tumbled across a car roof and almost landed on his face. The Doombots were closing in on him fast. The sounds of Natasha's guns and Clint's exploding arrows were echoing somewhere in the background but with both their big hitters missing and Iron Man still on his way, the Avengers were hopelessly outnumbered.

He rolled to his feet just as a heavy metal fist punched a hole into the concrete where he laid. The machine straightened and took another swing at him only to be knocked back by his shield. A few shots were fired at him from the right. He raised his shield in protection and punched another incoming robot in the abdomen. There was a loud creak of metal against metal as he whirled around and caught another one's head slicing it clean off with the edge of his shield.

"Steve, Clint's down! I don't know how much longer I can hold them off!" yelled Natasha through the comm-link. "We really need Stark to finally get his ass over here!"

"Ugh!" grunted the Captain as one of the robots managed to land a hit on him. "Tell me about it!" he spat as the attacker met face-first with his fist. "Just this once he could've broken his habit of arriving fashionably late!" He ducked just in time to avoid getting his head blown off. "Hang on, I'll try to get to you!"

Having that said, he threw his shield at the nearest Doombot. The machine smacked it down, making it slide a few meters to the left. Steve lunged forward with his fist, narrowly missing. The robot struck out at him, making him dodge backwards. He cried out in pain as he felt the force of two metal arms slam into his back and knock him down. There was an audible crack as his face hit the concrete. The machine grabbed him by his throat and lifted him clean off the ground. Steve made a choked sound and kicked it square in the chest. The robot staggered backwards giving him enough time to break free. Ducked down, he wiped at the blood pouring from his broken nose and jumped up, giving it a vicious spin kick.

Another hit came from the left. Steve dragged the Doombot down by its arm and used its head for a boost. He bounced up and flew through the air landing on another one's shoulders. Wasting no time, he joined his hands together and smashed it on the back of its head with full force. The robot crumbled to the ground and Steve rolled away, grabbing hold of his misplaced shield. He sprung up and kicked away an approaching enemy, scanning the area for any signs of Natasha.

A robot grabbed him from behind, wrapping an arm around his neck. He cried out and bashed it with his shield, struggling to grab its arm with his free hand. He did a backflip over it and pulled it in front of himself just in time to avoid getting shot in the chest. The robot crumbled to the ground and revealed a much bigger problem. Steve's eyes widened and he jumped back hurriedly, hiding behind his shield.

The missile landed a few meters away from him and the impact sent him flying. He expected to break a few bones upon landing, but none of that came. Instead the speed of his fall began to pick up. Horrified, he realized that he has fallen over the edge of the bridge and was now rushing to his imminent death. The air roared in his ears. Not even Captain America could survive a fall like that.

He closed his eyes trying to brace himself for the inevitable when suddenly, something caught him mid-air and slowed his fall. Not only did it slow him, it was actually flying him back up.

"Nice nose. Goes well with the red in your outfit."

Steve let out an involuntary sigh of relief. "Took your sweet time as always."

"Show some gratitude, Spangles. I just saved your ass from becoming a roadkill and while you guys were busy getting beaten the crap out of you I also found a solution to our little robot infestation problem." remarked Iron Man sarcastically.

"Being the super-genius you are I'm sure you found a brilliant one." commented Steve dryly.

"Wow, since when are you capable of sarcasm, old man?"

"Just get to the point. Hawkeye's down and I didn't hear from agent Romanov for some time."

Tony opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by a gasp coming from his comm-link. "Whatever you need to d-do...Stark...do it now..." panted Natasha. "Th-they have me completely s-surrounded. Can't-ugh!"

"Natasha!" called out Steve. "Natasha, do you hear me?"

"Hold on tight, Cap." said Tony as he plummeted downwards. "I've found a way to override their controls. JARVIS is working on it, but it's not like getting into the NYPD database. He needs more time to make the hack work."

"How long?"

"Aproximately 5 more minutes. I'll drop you by Romanov and Barton. Get ready."

The metal arms around him loosened their grip and let him down about 10 meters above the ground. He landed on one of the few car roofs that didn't get blown off yet and blocked an incoming attack.

"Wherever they are, get them out of here. I'll keep the robots busy."

"Try not to get knocked out while I'm gone."

"Don't worry about me."

The only answer he got was a repulsor blast resonating from somewhere behind him.

He heard the sound of metal wrinkling as two robotic arms gripped the edge of the roof, trying to get to him. The first kick made a nasty hollow in the machine's head, the second one sent it crashing down into the incoming mass of enemies.

He turned around and struck out with his shield, knocking back another one. The machine recovered quickly and lashed out at him again. His entire arm pulsed as metal met metal. The edge of his shield got stuck in the robot's raised forearm. He yanked it back, dragging it towards him. There was a loud whoosh as he dodged its incoming fist. He pulled again, this time successfully.

The force of the pull made him stagger a little, giving the remaining robots enough time to grab him by his shins and drag him down. He slid down the hood, trying to land a kick on them to no avail. The hard landing almost left him breathless and he only managed to hide under his shield as kicks came flying from all sides.

 _I'll keep them busy...yeah, you're doing a marvellous job with that, Steve._ quipped a sarcastic voice in his head as he managed to roll away only to get kicked in the tailbone. The impact made him lose his footing and sharp pain shot through his eye as a metal knee slammed into his face. He gritted his teeth and inhaled sharply as it started swelling. As if having to breathe through his mouth wasn't enough... He instinctively blocked an incoming attack and tried to open his eyes. Unsurprisingly, the injured one stayed closed.

 _Goddamnit! What the hell are you doing, Rogers?!_

He pulled back his cowl to relieve some pressure from the forming bruise and bashed the incoming robot with his shield. There was movement on his blind side and he jumped back just in time to avoid getting hit.

 _They have me on full defensive. Not good._

A swing from behind. Two more strikes from the right. There was no time for a counter-attack. Steve's only option was to dodge and block as blows came from all directions. The robots circled him once more.

He raised his shield in protection, trying to think of a way to attack them when a laser beam sliced clean through their chests.

"Just tell me one thing, Captain. When did you change your name to Captain Punchbag?"

"If you're planning to brag about-"

"Brag? Me?! How dare you!" exclaimed Tony in mock shock.

"Are agents Romanov and Barton safe?" asked Steve in an attempt to prevent the other man from any further bickering.

"I dropped them off on the nearest uninvaded rooftop. S.H.I.E.L.D. will take it from there." replied Tony as he fired his repulsors at an approaching wave of Doombots.

"What about the time?"

"About 2 minutes left. What? Is the asthma kicking in?"

"Says the guy with a glowing reactor attached to his chest."

"Touché..." commented Tony as he blasted another group of robots into next week. "You're going for the Fury look?"

"What?"

"The eye. I'm not sure if they make eyepatches with stars 'n' stripes though."

"Could you stop the wisecracking for at least 2 seconds?" grunted Steve as he elbowed an enemy in the jaw.

"You already have his sense of humor, good." grinned Tony as he flew past him, locking targets.

"It's all fun and games flying around in that suit of yours, isn't it?"

"Do I hear jealousy, Captain?" queried the other man as he fired off his missiles.

"All big and tough when you can hide behind those weapons and armor. Laser beams, missiles...what else have you got?"

"Repulsor beams. They're called repulsor beams." corrected Tony. "And well, at least I made them myself. Everything that's special about you came from others. Others smarter than you. Without them and their bottle of magical goo you'd be just a skinny little boy."

Steve scowled darkly. It was obvious that the last statement was a nasty low blow for him.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I am just a little boy playing the hero, but at least I act like one. I've done my homework too, you know."

This time it was Tony's face that went grim and even though the other man couldn't see it, he knew he's struck a nerve.

"Mr. Stark, the infamous playboy, womanizer, narcissist, rich brat...expanded your car collection recently?"

It was evident that Tony was desperately scrambling for words like a drowning man scrambles for a straw.

"What? You...haven't you read _anything_ about S.H.I.E.L.D.? They have nothing nice to say about me and do you know why?"

"Enlighten me."

"They hate my guts because I know all of their dirty little secrets. That's right, ever tried hacking into their top secret database? It's child's play! You think you know me because you read some stupid S.H.I.E.L.D. file? You know nothing, Rogers!"

As if to add emphasis to the end of his sentence the Doombots froze on the spot and powered down.

"Ha! See that? Mission well done! All thanks to me, but I guess you'll be the one Fury will thank since you're his favorite posterboy!" spat Tony as he charged up his thrusters and rocketed away.

* * *

 **Ok, so... The serious turn the ending took surprised even me when I beta-read it from start to finish but I guess I just wanted to show that in spite of being America's golden boy, Steve can do much worse than just gosh, golly and gee if someone pushes him too much. And as we all know, Tony has a PhD. when it comes to pushing people :P I think it'll make good material for the later chapters too.**

 **So that's it, I hope you guys liked it and please don't forget to fave and comment ;)**


	3. Parties, girls and hangovers

**This chapter was actually written before the previous one so basically all I had to do was add in the sections that somehow relate to it...and think of a title. Damn those titles to hell, I nearly broke my brain trying to think of a name for this thing and well, you see how great that went...**

 **Anyways, I dropped two lines in Spanish into this one, they have little to no relevance to the story but in case you don't speak Spanish and are interested in knowing what was said, you can scroll to the very bottom of the page. I listed English translations right under the line where the fic ends :)**

 **Hope you'll enjoy it!**

* * *

Steve stopped the engine and got off his bike. The noise from above reached his ears instantly, making him sigh deeply. At the moment, him and Tony were the only Avengers left in the tower. Thor had to leave for Asgard, Clint and Natasha had an emergency to handle and Hulk went on one of his solitary trips that usually lasted anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks. They were gone only for the last 8 hours but to him it felt like days. Because out of his entire team, he just had to get stuck with the one person that seemed to hate him from head to toe.

Ever since their last argument on the Doombot mission, Tony avoided him like the plague and he noticed that instinctively, he did the same. They spoke to one another only when absolutely necessary, keeping the conversations short and to the point. Tony went so far as to cutting his jokes to a minimum and calling him exclusively "Captain". It sure felt better than being called "Capsicle", "Spangles" or "old man" at least ten times a day, but it still made him feel uncomfortable. Especially the way the other man said it. Whenever the word came out of his mouth it sounded forced, as if he'd much rather call him an asshole or something even worse.

He took in a deep breath and rolled his shoulders nervously. There was a party going on right in the main hall and if he wanted to get into any other part of the tower, he had to enter the hall first. Preparing himself for the worst, he stepped in.

The first thing he noticed were the colorful flashing lights that almost blinded him. Rock boomed from a huge audio set in the background and girls spun around four poles that someone installed right in the middle of the room. Their high heels made them at least a head taller than their actual height and calling their outfits skimpy would be an understatement. He scanned the room for the nearest way out.

"¡Bailate conmigo, querido!" exclaimed a rather petite-looking Latin American girl in a neon-green bikini as she threw herself around his arm.

"No, gracias." replied Steve as he walked further into the room.

"Oh, you really are _something_." purred a blonde in a cute kitty outfit.

"Ladies, please, I'm just looking for-"

"Me! He's looking for me!" hollered a familiar voice from behind him.

Steve turned around and tried his best to maintain a neutral expression as the billionaire staggered towards him. Naturally, he was surrounded by a flock of girls and completely shitfaced.

"Hey there, Stars-n-stripes! You came just in time for the grand finale!" he proclaimed enthusiastically.

The stench of whisky coming out of him was sickening and considering the lack of articulation Steve was quite proud of himself for being able to make out what the other man just said. His thoughts went racing.

 _Did he just willingly come up to me, crack a joke and call me Stars-n-stripes? He must be completely wasted...probably won't remember anything I'll say...but what the hell do I say..._

Tony grinned widely and put a friendly hand on his shoulder, making him downright gape at him. "She broke up with me, Cap. She left me because she couldn't bear that I risk my life as Iron Man while she does nothing. Can you believe that bullshit? But fuck it, I'm cool with it! Actually, I love every minute of it!" He turned to the girls. "We're gonna have a lot of fun tonight!" Having that said, he emptied his glass all at once. "Party on, girls!"

A strong arm grabbed him by the shoulder, causing him to whirl back around. Brown met blue. Tony tried to say something, but all he managed was a loud burp. Had it not been for Steve's arm on his shoulder, he'd probably collapse to the floor face-first. He doubled over, bile rising in his throat. Steve grabbed him with both his hands and shook him as if to try and steady him. He started dragging him away from the party, but it was too late. Tony made a choking sound and fell to his knees vomitting.

* * *

"Wake up. Stark, wake up." insisted a voice from somewhere above him.

He let out a hoarse moan. His head was heavy and pounding and his eyelids felt like lead. In fact, his entire body felt about a dozen times heavier. It was as if he got ran over by a car. Repeatedly.

"Stark."

He groaned something that remotely resembled 'leave me be'. This was probably the worst hangover he ever had and he wasn't going to face the agony of getting up just because someone wanted him to, although the voice did sound familiar...

"I'll drag you out of that bed myself if I have to."

He struggled to open his eyes. The light that followed caused him to groan in pain and for a second there he thought that he went blind. His vision adjusted slowly, forming blurred shapes and faded colors. He focused on the shape above him as it started transforming into a face. The view was still blurred on the edges but at least he could recognize most of the features now. The short blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, lips pressed into a tight line...

"Cap?" he wheezed.

"Here. This should help with the headache." replied the other man holding out a glass for him.

Using all the strenght his wrecked body could muster Tony managed to sit up. His entire world spun and for a moment it looked like he's going to fall right back. He let out a pained groan and rubbed his head. It felt like he had a goddamned horse kicking it. He reached for the glass and took a sip.

"Orange juice..." he commented. "How did you know..."

Steve just shrugged: "This isn't the first hangover I'm trying to get rid of."

"What time is it?" Tony heard himself croak.

"Four in the afternoon. I already cleaned up most of the mess you made." He gestured towards the nightstand with a big plate of omelette sitting on top of it. "You should eat some breakfast before you puke your guts out again."

"Did I..." He burped loudly. "Did I puke on you too?"

"Yes. More than once."

Tony buried his face in his hands. "Didn't mean to..."

That was as close to a sorry as Steve could hope for. "Figures."

"Uggh..." groaned Tony as he rubbed his face against his palms. He had a severe case of migraine and his stomach was literally doing somersaults...felt like he could puke again any second. "I'm a mess..." he muttered.

Steve decided that it would be better if he didn't comment on that statement.

"You made that yourself?" asked Tony, making a vague gesture towards the nightstand.

Feeling a strange urge to lighten the mood somehow, Steve nodded: "I didn't poison it, I swear."

Tony stared at him, clearly trying to comprehend the fact that Captain America just tried to crack a joke on him.

"Well...um...I think I'm gonna go check if my shirt has dried." said Steve, feeling awkward suddenly.

Tony gave the food a brief look-over before turning his attention to the other man's departing back.

"Hey, Cap..."

"Mhm?"

"The food looks fine."

Steve seemed genuinely surprised. What was that? Some form of thanks perhaps? His lips quirked into a hint of a smile.

"You're welcome."

* * *

 ***¡Bailate conmigo, querido! = Dance with me, darling!**

 ***No, gracias. = No, thanks.**

 **So there goes the translation for those of you that need it :)**

 **I really feel for Tony in this one. I've experienced all the stuff that I mentioned first-hand, pretty much the only thing I left out is that horrible dryness in the mouth...noticed that only after I was done so fuck it, you guys probably know how that feels anyway :P Or not, don't know about your drinking habits.**

 **Faves, follows and especially reviews are much welcomed :)**


	4. Forming outlines

**Chapter 4 is here :) Didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to, but I think it's safe to say that when I decided to write this particular scene down, I took a bite much larger than I could chew. I've been struggling with it for a long time, but in the end I just decided to finish it ASAP and don't think about it so much. Tony might be a little OOC in this one, I'm probably gonna blame it on his tiredness. People do really weird stuff when they're tired.** **Anyway, here goes.**

* * *

"Goddamnit!" cursed Tony as yet another one of his ideas didn't work out the way it should have. Maybe it was the lack of sleep finally taking its toll on his brain but he highly doubted that. Going 72 hours without sleep was no great feat in his book. He leaned over the table and pushed his fingers into his eyes with frustration.

"JARVIS, run a diagnostic on...no, forget that. It's no use. I'll just have to try something else entirely."

"Perhaps a coffee break could help you concentrate, sir? Or getting some sleep by any chance?"

"Coffee sounds great."

"As expected."

"Cut the sarcasm, JARVIS." glowered Tony as he stepped into the elevator.

 _Sometimes I feel like punching myself for programming that into him._ he thought to himself as the floors rushed by. His mouth stretched into an involuntary yawn. Maybe the damn AI was right and he should just go crash into bed...with should being the keyword. He's not getting any sleep until he can get this shit right, no matter how many coffees it'll take.

The elevator doors slid open revealing the living quarters. Or at least the floor that once served as living quarters. By now, the only person that actually lived here was Rogers. It seemed that no matter how hard the guy tried, he just couldn't find a place to stay. There was always something that bothered him and it usually took only a few days until he came back, looking even more solemn than usual.

Tony made an internal promise to himself that he wouldn't ask. The other man's presence didn't bother him considering how little time he spent outside his lab and even less interacting with him. He padded down the corridor, yawning once more.

 _Better make the coffee triple..._

Out of reflex, he flipped the switch only to make the lights turn off. Blinking with surprise, he flipped it once more and beheld an unusual sight. Rogers sat at the dinner table staring at a blank sheet of paper furiously. Tony was surprised that the soldier didn't snap his pencil with a death grip like that.

"Trouble sleeping?" he inquired in a casual tone.

The other man raised his head as if he'd noticed him just now: "I could ask you the same thing. When was the last time you slept? You look terrible."

"As far as JARVIS' calculations go, I'm nearing 72 hours without sleep." replied Tony as he started setting up the coffee machine. "Coffee?"

"No, thanks. I don't really drink coffee."

"Why?"

"I don't like the taste."

The coffee machine buzzed to life and started grinding the beans for Tony's serving.

"When was the last time you had it? Most importantly, where did you have it? Starbucks? McDonald's? Because if you tried one of those cups of mud it's no wonder you didn't like it."

"We didn't have Starbucks and McDonalnd's back in the forties."

"Really? Where did you guys get your cheeseburgers then?"

"We just ate something else." replied Steve, his expression turning slightly downcast.

Realizing his mistake, Tony grabbed his cup of coffee and in an attempt to switch topics quickly, he asked: "What are you drawing?"

Steve furrowed his brow. "Well, that's the problem. I'm having a bit of an artist's block. Don't know what to draw."

"Don't know what to draw? Don't be ridiculous. Tell you what, you can draw me if you want." said Tony as he took a sip from his coffee.

"I don't know..."

"Oh come on, Spangles. Don't tell me you can't do it."

"I could, but-"

"Then what are you waiting for?" asked Tony jovially. "I'm all yours. Do me justice." he said as he plopped down on the chair opposite the soldier.

Unsure of what to think of the situation, Steve looked down at the paper and started outlining the basic sketch.

Tony took another sip from his coffee, feeling a little awkward suddenly. Their encounters usually ended with the likes of the conversation they just had and him excusing himself back to the lab so this was something new. A few weeks ago he wouldn't even bother to insult the guy and now he was sitting at the table with him posing for one of his drawings. It sure didn't feel as natural as he made it sound.

"So...how did you get into this whole drawing thing?" he asked, trying to break the silence.

"I've been drawing since I was a kid. It's just a hobby, good venting."

"Venting, yeah, venting's good..."

Steve looked up from the paper and studied Tony's face for a moment. "You should really get some sleep instead of that coffee."

"Thanks, mom." smirked Tony as he sipped from his cup and before he could stop himself, he blurted out: "Tell me one thing, Cap. Why do you care? Sure, you look out for everyone but why a jerk like me?"

Steve paused for a moment, trying to think of an answer. A question like that caught him off-guard. He put the pencil aside.

"You're my teammate. Teammates look out for each other."

"Teammates... Right..."

"Why are you asking?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just trying to make conversation. You know, killing time. Because it's taking you too long." shrugged Tony as he gulped down the remaining coffee.

Steve awarded him with one of his rare half-smiles: "That's what I was trying to warn you about but you didn't let me finish."

"It's taking you ages."

"We've been here only for the last minute or so. I can draw fast, but not that fast."

Tony quirked an eyebrow: "Don't take it personally, but shouldn't super-speed be in the mix if we're talking super-soldiers? Think about it. You're super-strong, super-durable, super-everything, but you don't have super-speed. They forgot about it. Half-assed work."

Steve looked up from his drawing, but the billionaire gave him no room to answer: "Seriously, for a bunch of so-called professionals, they didn't try that hard. And besides...wait...is that...you're smiling! I had no idea you could do that... I gotta write this down. It should be remembered as the day Captain America smiled."

"Are you sure you don't wanna go to bed? You're starting to ramble." said Steve amusedly.

"My record is a week without passing out so I think you know the answer."

"Seriously...just go get some sleep, I can finish that drawing another time."

Steve hoped that the other man wouldn't notice how he hesitated. Normally he would've just called him Mr. Stark or something of the sort, but somehow it just didn't feel right this time. Tony's lips quirked into a hint of a smile: "I believe we've already been introduced. You can call me Tony. No need to feel awkward about it, even Fury skips the formalities and just calls me like that."

"Right..."

"Just be cool with it, Cap. That smile kinda suits you. You should use it more often." He stood up, placing the now empty mug on the counter. "I'll head back to the lab. If you still want to finish that picture just wait until I pass out down there. Unless you insist on making it a portrait. In that case, catch me on my next coffee break."

He left the room promptly, giving the other man no room to try and stop him. Steve looked down at the drawing. Not too bad, at least the outlines of the table were in place...

* * *

 **So that's it... I hope you guys liked it in spite of my own lack of satisfaction :D Please, don't forget to drop a review or a fave if you liked it. Even if you didn't. Constructive criticism is always welcome :)**


	5. Drunken haze

**Can't believe I'm finally done with this! At first this chapter wasn't even supposed to be here but I had this one bad argument with my girlfriend (don't worry, we're good now :) ) that left me feeling like shit so I started writing to vent it out and the first bit of this thing is what happened. When I write I literally put my feelings on paper, so looking at the first scene you can probably tell how depressed I was at the time. I wrote that one scene and when I felt better I came back to it and figured that since I already spent some time writing it I might as well put it to use so I added some more scenes to expand it and viola, the scene-based chapter was born :) It didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped it would, but I wanted to share it with you guys anyway. As you can tell from the title, this whole thing deals with alcoholism so if you're sensitive to that kind of stuff I suggest you read no further. The upcoming chapters will be much less depressing, I promise :)**

* * *

 _Ah, yes. Have another one. Come on, Stark, don't deny it...you want this...you want this bad..._

Tony tipped the bottle and poured himself a glass. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, making the amber-colored liquid spill all over his hand and across the table.

 _Come on big guy, drink it..._

His world was a complete haze by now. Even his hands have become nothing more than swirling colors fading in and out of view.

 _What are you waiting for... Bottoms up, asshole!_

He tilted his head to the side, listening to the liquid drip down the table leg.

 _Drinking to forget...and yet the release just won't come. Why is it? Why can't anything help?_

Gulping the glass down all at once, he swayed on the chair. He was so smashed that the fall didn't even hurt. How could it? He didn't care if he sat or laid on the ground.

 _Idiot...how could you ever think that she loved you?_

A voice. Footsteps heading his way. Strong arms grabbing hold of him, making him sit up or rather slump into them.

 _Can't see...can't feel...who..._

He tried to speak, but he couldn't make out the words. An intelligible moan was all he managed.

The hands shook him: "Tony!"

His eyes rolled into the back of his head.

* * *

"Tony, can you hear me?" spoke up a voice from behind him.

"Wha..." he breathed, struggling to open his eyes. "Whoeyo?"

The question earned him a heavy sigh: "I hoped that the shower would help."

"Shoaa?"

"Yes, shower. I guess you don't remember any of that." said the man that now stood in front of him.

Tony furrowed his brow, trying to concentrate. Tall, broad-shouldered and blonde, dressed in a simple white t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants... Very muscular too...

"Spangzz."

"It started with an S so I take it you recognize me. How do you feel?"

"Likh shiz."

"You look like shit too."

"Phbt!" grumbled Tony, crossing his arms defiantly. "Wll duhn, Cap'n Oviozz."

"At least I'm not wasted."

"I fine."

"You're drunk."

"Nuht."

"Just a few minutes ago you started groping me and trying to give me a kiss. You even tried to undress me. Seems pretty drunk to me."

The billionaire's expression turned sullen. "Pepph...where Pepph?"

Steve fidgeted, feeling slightly nervous. Talking to a drunken egomaniac about his now ex-girlfriend wasn't exactly what he had in mind for his afternoon.

"She's on vacation. Sent her off yourself, remember?"

The drunkard crawled up to him and grabbed him by his bicep. "Why se haezz me? Why you haezz me?" His expression turned even more downcast. "Everuhone haezz me."

"She doesn't hate you, Tony and neither do I."

Tony shook his head in refusal. "Dun lie."

"I'm not. The only person that hates you is yourself."

The billionaire buried his face in the soldier's chest.

"Don't tell me you blacked out again."

Steve sighed heavily as he tilted the other man's chin up.

"Looks like you did."

* * *

"I really hope you're sober this time." said Steve without moving his eyes away from his reading.

The pained groan that followed gave him the impression that he's right.

"Please tell me I'm gonna die quickly."

"You wish." commented the soldier dryly as he placed a bookmark on the page and shut the book. "How's your head?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" rasped Tony as he covered his eyes with a hand.

"You hit it more than once. I'm surprised you don't have a concussion. Remember anything?"

"Just flashes..."

"Yeah, well, among many other things, you were calling for Ms. Potts and..."

Steve hesitated. The entire ordeal made him feel uncomfortable as it was, no need for cherries on top. He flushed, trying to think of a way of saying it without embarrassing himself.

"You were calling for her and...um..."

Tony moved his hand away from his eyes to give him a look. "I know I'm an asshole when I'm drunk, no need to sugar-coat it."

"I had to hit you. I pulled the punch so it shouldn't be that bad..."

"Let me guess, you gave me a black eye."

"Yeah..."

"I guess that's why I can't open it. You said you pulled the punch? I don't wanna know what an actual punch from you feels like."

"You tried to undress me."

"I usually go for kissing first."

This time it was Steve's turn to shoot looks.

"Bad joke...right..."

"One of your worst. I knew you had a problem since that night you threw that huge party, but I didn't know it was this bad. I don't know what's going on in your head, but after this I'm pretty sure I'm not the one that hates you. I never did, I just pushed you because I know that you can do better."

Tony looked at him in disbelief, that last sentence startled him: "So you were playing the drill sergeant to make me work harder? That's it, really?"

Steve raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk appearing on his face: "You didn't exactly go easy on me either. Capsicle this, Capsicle that. I can tell when someone doesn't like me. And you're gonna like me even less after that detox I'll put you through."

"Detox?"

Steve moved towards the door: "I threw out all the booze you had and you're not getting any more. If it'll take me going shopping with you, I'll do it, I just want you to kick it."

Tony opened his mouth to object.

"You'll thank me later." said the other man in his no-nonsense voice as he turned to leave.

* * *

 **So that's it, stay tuned for more chapters and like I said, please bear with me, they're gonna be much more light-hearted than this one. Don't forget to fave and comment if you enjoyed it, or even if you didn't, criticism helps me improve :)**


	6. Disputes settled

**So it's almost midnight here and I finally managed to finish this. It's not perfect...far from it as far as I can tell, but I've been pondering about this chapter for far too long by now and to be honest, I just really...I don't wanna see it for the next couple of months xD Here goes:  
**

* * *

Tony stopped in his tracks as he heard some cursing from the garage.

"JARVIS, what's going on in there?"

"I believe that Captain Rogers has some difficulty fixing his motorcycle, sir."

The billionaire chuckled: "There goes my faith in him. I was hoping he could fix at least his own stuff."

"Well, perhaps you could lend a hand, sir."

"You read my mind, Jarv." grinned Tony as he entered the room in question. He stopped at the head of the stairs to assess the situation.

As expected, the upper half of the Captain was hidden under the bike, evidently trying its best to find a solution. There were some tools lined up next to him and a few black smears on the ground. He let out an irritated huff and tossed aside an oily wrench, reaching for one of the other tools.

"Shit..."

"Watch that tongue, Cap. You might lose a few virgin points." teased Tony. "Need help?"

"Seems like I do, yeah."

"Worry not, the genius is here!"

"You're overdoing it. Just get down here already." said Steve as he pulled himself from under the bike.

Tony bit back a comment about the other man's makeup and walked down the stairs: "So what's the problem?"

"Still not sure. Wanna give it a try?"

"Could be fun. I've never seen one of those until you came along...I mean, besides pictures of course. You sure you don't want to get a new one? They're pretty much the same deal except...well, they're new."

Steve crossed his arms, slightly amused: "I use her for transportation, not monster hunting. Doesn't have to be all high-tech."

The billionaire traced the seat with his fingers as he looked the machine over: "No high-tech intended. Just a little customization. You know, a better engine, maybe some fresh paint...new shine, that's all."

"You never give up, do you?"

"I'm an inventor. Not giving up is part of my nature." commented Tony as he slid below the machine. "Would you mind handing me that?" he asked, pointing at one of the tools on the ground.

"Sure, no problem." replied Steve as he leaned down to give it to him.

"Thanks."

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Glad you noticed the eyeshadow. You like it? Goes well with the black eye...not that there's much of it left, but still. Adds a nice touch, don't you think?"

"I just wanted to know how you're doing."

"Well, I get a panic attack or a shaking fit every here and there, still vomit on an occasion and judging by your question, you probably heard me screaming last night. So yeah, I'm just peachy, how are you?"

"Oily." said the other man dryly.

"Touché." commented Tony as he threw a rag his way. "I'm gonna need just a minute for this, it's a simple little thing, can't believe you didn't figure it out yourself."

"I did, I just wanted to check on you."

"JARVIS, you're a crafty bastard."

"Thank you, sir."

"So, let me get this straight, Captain America said 'shit' just because he wanted to check on little old me?"

"You don't have to put me on a pedestal, there's enough people doing the hero-worship already. I wanted to make sure that you're fine and...I wanted to apologize." said Steve, averting his eyes.

The billionaire almost slammed his head into the bike: "What?"

"I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. It was all new for me and I didn't know you...didn't know anyone. I thought you didn't have what it takes to make a sacrifice, but you've proved me wrong. I'm sorry."

Tony took in a deep breath. An apology like that was something he definitely didn't expect. He pulled out from under the machine, staring at the man in front of him and for the first time since he'd met him, he felt like he was talking to an ordinary guy, rather than a living legend. The words came out almost naturally: "It's not like I went easy on you. I antagonized you because I needed a reason to hate you."

"Why?"

"Because you were his favorite. You were the son he always wanted."

"What are you talking about?"

The billionaire growled: "Howard Stark. My dad. He was proud of you, pretty much worshipped the ground you walked on. The only time he gave a shit about me was when he was telling me stories about you. You were a true hero while I was just a fuck up."

"Tony-"

"He never told me he loved me. Not a single damn time. Never."

Steve looked back at him: "Howard was a good man and a good friend of mine and even if you're right and he didn't love you, there are people who do. Last time I checked, you were the one who saved New York. Not me, you. The entire city owes you their lives and if he could see you that day, I'm sure he'd be proud of you."

A hint of a smile spread across the other man's face: "Thanks."

The soldier held out a hand, the corner of his lips quirking upward: "I think that it's time to bury the hatchet now."

Tony reached out and shook his hand, nodding in agreement.

* * *

 **And that's it, hope you guys enjoyed it :) I'll see you next time I manage to finish something, until then!**


	7. Boxing lesson

**Finally, chapter 7's here! If you read the title you probably know what will follow so I'm gonna skip all the author blahs and just let you enjoy it ;)**

* * *

The punching bag swayed from side to side under the weight of Steve's blows. He's been at it for the last hour, the only hint of tiredness being his heavy breathing. Sweat soaked his t-shirt, sticking it to his sculpted chest and abs, the relentless strikes never missing their mark.

He managed to award the bag with three especially strong hits when a voice spoke up behind him: "Easy, Cap. You don't have to break it."

His lips quirked upwards in a hint of a smile: "Are you gonna just stand there and scold me or did you have an actual workout in mind?"

"As a matter of fact I did. This isn't my first time in the gym." said Tony as he casually leaned against the wall next to him, hands deep in his pockets.

Steve reached out and stopped the bag: "So what's your workout gonna be?"

"Just a bit of weights, maybe some crunches...I keep it simple."

"How about some boxing?" asked the soldier as he let go of the bag and turned to face him.

"Nah, not my kind of thing. That bag's here mostly because of you."

"Don't you wanna try it?"

"I have. Not for me."

"Guess it's no wonder that you don't know how to fight then."

Tony raised an eyebrow: "A lot of people would disagree with you. Just go ask Reindeer games for instance."

Steve shook his head: "That's not what I meant. I know that you can handle the suit, but what are you gonna do without it?"

The billionaire chuckled: "Do you really think that I'm stupid enough to waltz into a fight without my armor?"

"Not willingly, but what if someone catches you off guard? What if there's a fight and you can't get to it? You gotta be prepared for anything."

"It's not gonna happen."

"Let's imagine that it just did." said Steve as he removed his gloves and tossed them over to him. "Come on, Stark, just try and land a hit on me."

"What?"

"Put the gloves on and hit me."

"I like my face just the way it is, thank you."

"Don't worry, no black eyes this time. Just a friendly match. Now hit me."

"I don't-"

His protests got cut short by a quick hit to the abdomen and the back of his knee. Breathless, he found himself lying on the floor, a muscular arm wrapped around his neck. The grip wasn't tight enough to choke him, but it still felt uncomfortable. He clawed at it in an attempt to wrestle himself free.

"Seems like occasional lifting is not enough." said the Captain as he let him go and extended a hand. "You wanna try again?"

"You call this friendly?" asked Tony, rubbing his neck gingerly.

"The only guarantee I gave you was that I'll avoid the face." replied the other man as he helped him up. "Come on, if I wanted to spar with a punchbag I'd just keep going at that one."

Tony slipped on the gloves and struck out, aiming for Steve's face. The soldier retaliated, bringing him down. Slightly confused and rubbing the back of his head, the billionaire got up and attacked again, only to miss. Steve dodged and blocked his every hit and sent him back to the ground within seconds.

"Cover yourself. Punch me, but at the same time don't let me punch you."

"This is pointless. You're just making me look like an idiot."

Having that said, Tony walked past him. For a moment it looked like he'll just leave but then he lashed out, expecting to take Steve down from behind. Much to his dismay, the soldier anticipated his move and blocked it.

"Nice try, but you'll have to think of something else."

The billionaire growled and tried to land a hit on him several more times before ending up on the floor again.

"Remember what I said about not letting me punch you? If you flail your arms around like that it's gonna keep happening."

"Not if there's a suit of armor that'll break your fingers. I could blast you to pieces before you even got to me."

"That may be so, but you're not wearing it right now."

"I could get it."

"Not before I punch your lights out."

"That's not the point-"

"That's _exactly_ the point. You can't always count on your armor to be there for you. You gotta learn to protect yourself, with or without it. Now let's try this again."

"Forget it, I'm not gonna-hey!"

Tony ducked, narrowly avoiding a punch.

"If you don't like being beaten around just do something about it." grinned Steve.

"What about the no face rule? You almost hit me in the nose!"

"I was holding back. Believe me, if I really wanted to hurt you, you wouldn't even get past the 'forget it'. We gotta improve that reaction time of yours." said the Captain as he faked a right hook, causing the other man to raise his fists in defense. "Now we're getting somewhere. Keep it up."

Right. Block. Left. Dodge. Right. Block. Left. Dodge. Steve's attacks were slow and predictable, giving Tony enough room to counter them. After a couple of successful blocks, the fist suddenly switched direction and struck out in a vicious uppercut. Naturally, the change caught him off-guard and the other man's knuckles stopped centimeters away from his jaw.

"If this was an actual fight, you'd be lying on the ground collecting your teeth now." said Steve as he lowered his hand. "You need to try and predict what your opponent's gonna do. Mind their body language, there's always something that gives them away."

Tony raised an eyebrow: "Yeah? Like what? You just punched me."

"For starters, just follow my eyes. I like to look before I punch. Ready?"

The billionaire took in a deep breath and got into a fighting stance. Steve raised his fists and started pounding at him once more. This time, it took two punches to get past the other man's defenses.

"Better. Keep going."

For each successful block, the Captain added one more direction from which he attacked.

"Hey, that's not-"

"Less talk, more action."

As if to emphasize his words, he sped up. The blows were still far from real, but they were more than enough to keep the other man on his toes.

"Come on, Stark. Hit me." he provoked.

Tony, far too busy with blocking, just glared at him. So far, about ninety percent of his blocks were useless and the number kept increasing. It took one more hit square in the chest to make him finally lose it. Without paying any attention to the incoming blows, he pulled back his fist and lashed out at him, determined to wipe the smile off his face. Unfortunately, he put far too much force into the hit and ended up not only missing his mark, but also losing his balance.

"Shit!" he growled as he landed right in Steve's arms.

"Not bad. That punch could've hurt."

"Yeah, with could've being the key word." said Tony with an eye roll. "Look, I know that you mean well, but really, this is a waste of time for both of us." He got back to his feet and pulled down the gloves as he continued: "You're a super-soldier, you run around punching people. I didn't get a steroid boost like that, so I prefer flying around in my armor. Deal with it."

Steve shook his head: "The serum only gave me a fighting chance. I had to learn those moves, just like everyone else."

"Yeah, well, wanna take my suit for a flight?"

"You know that I-"

"Didn't think so." smirked Tony as he set the gloves aside and started walking towards the weight bench.

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked it :) I still have a long way to go with this fic, but I think that it's safe to say that if we count in this chapter, I'm about halfway through. Stay tuned for chapter 8!**


	8. Atrocity 3310

**Why hello there, this time I bring you the Telephone Horror Story! Hope you'll like it :)**

* * *

"Do you ever answer your phone? Actually, let me rephrase that, do you have a phone?" asked Tony as he wiped his face with a towel.

His question was met with a raised eyebrow: "Yeah, I have a phone. Why?"

"Do you actually use it?"

This time, the other man chuckled: "Sometimes. What's your point?"

The billionaire set the towel aside. Since Steve's last attempt at teaching him the basics of boxing, sparring sessions like the one they just had have become a frequent occurrence. He'd sooner drop dead than admit it, but it was afternoons like this that eventually made him change his mind about the soldier. They helped him see him as an equal and a friend, rather than an over-glorified idol and by now, it was quite easy for him to talk to the guy.

"I texted you this morning. Got no answer so far."

Steve slinged his towel over his shoulders: "I pretty much live at your place, you could've just talked to me."

"Not really. Had a board meeting at the time."

"Shouldn't you pay attention at those?"

This time, it was Tony's eyebrow that shot up: "Come on, Rogers. You know me better than that."

"How did you get my number?"

"There's no limit to what I can do given the time and resources. Like I said, I was on a board meeting. Had a lot of time. Which brings me to my next question. Are you gonna read that text or do I have to make you? Cos you know, I'll believe that story about a phone when I'll see it."

Steve shook his head chuckling: "Fine."

He walked towards the bench where he left his bag and reached inside one of the side pockets, pulling out what looked like an old Nokia 3310.

"Believe me now?"

Instead of answering, Tony grew uncharacteristically quiet. It was as if he didn't even understand what the other man just said. Steve, startled by his reaction continued: "Are you ok? What's wrong?"

The billionaire stared at the device with a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief. It actually took him a few more seconds to find his words: "You call that atrocity a phone? I mean… Are you kidding me? Even my grandmother has a newer model than this."

Steve's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. "It looks fine to me. The calls and messages work."

Tony sighed with exasperation: "Yeah, sure, but have you for a second considered what that thing looks like? If it has any extra features? Christ, you can't even connect to a wi-fi with this thing!"

"It's a phone, Tony. I don't-"

"Nu-uh. It won't do. I'm getting you a new one."

"What?"

"You heard me, Spangles. We're going shopping."

* * *

"You really don't have to do this." said Steve as they approached the phone section of the store.

"Trust me, I do and you'll thank me later." replied the other man as he browsed through the latest pieces.

Steve opened his mouth to object some more, but was interrupted by another incoming voice: "Mr. Stark! What a pleasant surprise!"

"Hi Harvey. How's it going?" smiled Tony as he turned around to face the man who just spoke to them. He was short and fat, a wide grin plastered over his face.

"Oh, I'm fine. How may I help you today?"

"My friend here could use a new phone. Got any recommendations?"

The man's face lightened up even more: "Of course. What are you looking for? There are many new models available right now."

"Something quite basic, but-"

"Tony." interrupted Steve. "I really don't-"

The billionaire waved his hand dismissively: "Zip it, Rogers. I've got this." He smiled at the clerk once more. "Lead the way, Harv."

Harvey smiled back at him and started explaining everything about the displayed phones in detail. He went on and on about the various utility features and apps, most of which made no sense to Steve whatsoever. He tried interrupting his monologue several times only to be shushed by Tony, who seemed to take great interest in every word. The man talked for three minutes straight and Steve was just about to try and sneak out of the store when Tony proclaimed: "We'll take that one. You want the black or white version, Cap?"

Steve, startled by the sudden question just looked back at him: "Um..."

"The white one? Yeah, I agree. It's more stylish. And if we find a phone case with the American flag it's gonna fit better too."

"I didn't-"

"So you want the black one?"

"No, I-"

"White it is. Bring it out, Harv. I'll pay cash."

"Of course, Mr. Stark." smiled Harvey as he started waddling towards the cash register.

"Don't worry, I picked the most user-friendly one." said Tony jovially as he gestured towards the fat man's departing back. "Shall we?"

"I guess." said the other man with a shrug of resignation.

* * *

 **There you go, all wrapped up and ready for chapter 9 :) See you then!**


	9. Long way to go

**Ladies and gentlemen I present to you...chapter 9!  
**

* * *

"I see what you're trying to do here." said Tony as he watched the other man rummage through his things for keys. "You figured that the easiest solution to your problem with me is to first befriend me and get me to trust you and then dispose of me at the first chance you'll get. Those boxing lessons that keep me sore for weeks were just the start and now that you got bored of punching me around you've finally decided that it's time to finish me off by turning me into one of the many motorbike roadkills of New York City. Bonus points for originality, but really-"

"You're the one that said yes." chuckled Steve as he put on his jacket. "But you could still change your mind if you're too scared. I'm not gonna force you."

"Scared? What do you mean I'm scared, I-"

"You're rambling. You always ramble when you're scared."

"Come on, that's bullshit and you know it."

"And now you're stalling."

Tony sighed with exasperation: "I-"

Steve crossed his arms, a hint of amusement appearing in his expression: "Just give me a yes or no. A final one."

"I'm coming."

"Then you're gonna need this." said Steve as he tossed a spare helmet his way. "That and you'll have to listen to me. You won't get hurt that way." He walked towards the bike and sat down. "Put it on and sit behind me."

Tony did as he was told, fumbling with the strap a little longer than necessary in a silly attempt to buy himself some more time. Steve, all set himself, put the keys in the ignition.

"Grab my waist and hold on tight." he said as the engine revved. "Whatever you do just don't let go."

"Sure..." said the other man as he reached out and wrapped his arms around him.

"Don't worry, it's not as dangerous as I make it look." added the soldier as he set the bike into motion.

Tony held onto him tight as they pulled out of the garage. It was a relatively warm day for the people sitting in their cars or just walking around, but riding a motorcycle was a different story and he almost regretted that he didn't dress better. The air that they sliced through turned into relentless wind, whipping at them from the front and the sides. It was a little more aggressive than he anticipated and if he wasn't wearing the helmet, his eyes would probably be watering up by now. He braced himself against the soldier, trying to get a view of where they were headed.

"You don't have to hold on this tight. You're making my stomach spin." said Steve in a raised voice.

"Sorry." Tony yelled back. "Where are we going?"

"How about we take her to the highway? That's where the real fun starts."

The billionaire fidgeted nervously: "I think I'm having enough fun as it is."

Steve laughed back at him: "You fly in that suit of yours all the time but you're afraid of my old bike. How does that make sense?"

"I fly in my _armored_ suit. This makes me feel too naked."

"You'll manage. Trust me."

Having that said, Steve took a sharp turn to the right and headed for the highway. Tony tried his best not to squeeze the other man's stomach again. Truth to be told, he felt more than a little awkward in this position. Boxing lessons aside, he hardly ever had any physical contact with the guy and now here he was, clinging to him for his dear life. His thoughts started to nag him. It was as if there was a group of people arguing inside his head. Not that significant separately, but together, they were a loud wave of voices, hard to comprehend and even harder to shut out. A bunch of mixed feelings ranging from uneasiness and awkwardness to curiosity and mild satisfaction. He wiggled, trying to sit a little more comfortably, his hold on the other man growing less spasmodic.

"Nice of you to finally relax." teased Steve as he noticed the sudden lack of Tony around his waist. "I prefer it to being smothered."

"I still think that my suit's better." the billionaire shot back.

Steve shook his head at the other man's pigheadedness: "Let me change your mind."

He sped up and watched as the road rushed by. For him, this was paradise on Earth. The ever-running road, the wind in his face, the changing scenery… It was one of the rare kinds of moments in which he could let go and have no care in the world. To an extent, it was a piece of his old life that he still missed sometimes. Nostalgia filled his heart as he remembered some of the instances in which he rode like this. By now it was a pleasant feeling, the sadness lingering only in the back of his mind. It took months before he started thinking this way, pushing back the loneliness and sorrow and focusing just on the here and now, but he managed. Living in the moment, letting the past be in the past…

"Hey Spangles."

"Yeah?"

"I think I get it. This whole bike thing."

"Told ya."

"Don't get your hopes up though. You're still going too slow."

Steve chuckled to himself and sped up. It seemed like he still had a long way to go.

* * *

 **Well, things are just about to get interesting, don't you think? :P**


	10. In heat

**Without further ado, I'm giving you... *drumroll* chapter 10!  
**

* * *

Tony sat at the computer his thoughts racing. He realized that stalking someone like this was wrong, if not downright creepy, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't stop. He watched as the sweat-drenched white t-shirt came off, revealing the perfectly sculpted abs and chest. The soldier turned around and started untying his shoe laces, his right leg resting on the bench. The pose was doing a little too much justice to his well-toned rear and even though he was still wearing his sweatpants, Tony caught himself wishing he could cop a feel. Goddammit was he screwed…

Ever since that little joyride Steve took him on last Sunday he couldn't stop thinking about him. There was always an image of him somewhere in the back of his mind interfering with, no, ruining everything he tried to do that didn't somehow involve oogling him, whether it was just the mental image or the real deal. So now here he was, sitting in front of his security camera feed, having a stupid crush on Captain America… 'Cause that's what it was. Nothing but a ridiculous desire to sleep with him. At least that's what Tony's inner man-whore thought.

The real fun was just about to start. By now, the soldier was stripped down to his underwear and about to hit the shower. Tony hardly blinked, trying his best to take in every detail of the other man's perfect body. Steve turned around, pulled down his briefs and reached inside his locker, leaving his butt perfectly exposed to the camera at just the right angle. It was as if the son of a bitch was doing it on purpose. He pulled out a towel and wrapped it around his waist, making Tony mentally sigh with disappointment. He wished that he would get to stare longer, even if it would be just for a little while. The soldier proceeded to walk out of the view and Tony caught himself thinking that he should somehow install a camera into the showers as well. He swatted the thought like an annoying fly.

 _This can't go on. I need to have sex with…_

There went another swatted thought.

 _Not happening. Get over it._

He pulled away from the screen and rubbed his temples. This couldn't be happening. Not again. Not to him. He didn't want to fall for that delicious body and sparkling white smile. The man-whore in him kept assuring him that he was just in heat and it would pass as soon as he'd manage a one night stand, but there was also this small voice nagging him somewhere in the back of his mind. It kept telling him that this was different. That it was serious. It told him that he was in love.

* * *

Steve stood under the shower, cherishing the hot water running down his face. He loved to work out, but the shower afterwards was probably what he enjoyed the most. Washing out all that sweat and dirt was a feeling like no other. He cleaned himself thoroughly and reached outside the curtain to grab his towel. Still drying himself, he stepped out of the shower only to be greeted by an intruder. He quickly shoved the towel downwards in a clumsy attempt to wrap it around himself.

"Oh, um…hi…" he stammered awkwardly, his face slightly blushing. He cleared his throat: "I was just about to…is there an emergency? 'Cause if not you could've just…um, hang on." he continued as he wrestled the towel into position.

Tony tried his best to sound casual, even though he desperately wanted to just roll the towel back up and stare: "Hey, Cap. Sorry to drop on you like this, but I was just wondering if you've ever been to…a sauna?"

Steve raised an eyebrow: "No. Why?"  
"Oh, just got curious. 'Cause I like sauna. As a matter of fact, I have one installed right here. Would you like to try? It's real good but it can get boring when you do it alone, so since half of the team's not even here and the other half tends to turn raging green at the slightest sign of agitation you seemed like the only viable option."

This time, Steve furrowed his brow: "Ok, sure, but you could've just asked when I'm done here."

"Right… Sorry. See you in the evening then." said Tony as he edged out of the room rather promptly.

"Yeah." said Steve to the now empty room. He rummaged through his locker for a clean pair of pants. Things just seemed to get weirder and weirder.

* * *

Tony looked at his phone. 7:30PM, the same time that he saw last time he checked. About ten seconds ago. Twice.

 _He's not coming._

The billionaire fidgeted anxiously.

 _He's not coming because he's onto you. You've made it pretty damn obvious with that last stunt of yours. Dropping in on him in the locker room. While he's naked. Some fucking genius you are._

A few more nervous gestures and another peek at the time.

 _Come on, get your shit together._

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the elevator doors slid open. He shoved the phone inside his pocket and tried his best to keep his expression casual as the taller man approached him.

"Hey, I appreciate the thought but next time just tell me which floor I'm looking for."

"I didn't tell you?"

"I was riding around in the elevator for the last fifteen minutes, why else would I do that?" replied Steve with a half-smile.

"Must've slipped my mind." said Tony as he pulled the hand out of his pocket and ran it through his hair. "This way."

"I don't mean to pry, but is everything ok?" asked the soldier as they headed towards the nearest glass door.

 _Busted. Shit, that was fast…_ Tony thought to himself. "Sure. Why?" he said out loud.

"You just look kinda nervous." shrugged Steve.

"It's just…work. I have this new prototype for my suit, the tests are going pretty bad so far."

Much to his relief, the other man just nodded and let it slide. In fact, he remained quiet during their entire time in the changing room. It was as if after that last locker room incident, there was some sort of mutual understanding between the two. They kept to themselves, giving each other as much privacy as possible. At least that's what Steve thought, what went on in Tony's head was a different story.

 _A new prototype? Really? Is that what he is now? A fancy new toy that I want to kill some time with?_

He wrapped a towel around his waist.

 _Why am I doing this to myself? This ain't a porn movie, it's not like he's suddenly gonna fuck me if we see each other naked and sweaty. Hell, he's probably wearing something under that towel anyway…_

His inner monologue got interrupted by a question: "Still thinking about that prototype?"

Tony snapped back into reality only to realize that the other man was already standing at the door, waiting for him. He was leaning against the doorframe in his entire glory, the only thing short of perfection being the fact that he wasn't naked, just really close to it in the most tempting way possible.

 _Shit… This isn't helping…_

Steve raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure you're alright? You're gaping at me."

"What? No, I, um… you know me. I just stare off sometimes." said Tony in an attempt to laugh it off, even though the question felt like a verbal slap in the face. "I just keep overthinking I guess. Feels like I'm not even here sometimes."

"No kidding." replied the soldier as he opened the door. "Hopefully that sauna of yours will help."

 _I doubt it…_

"It will. Always does. Let me show you."

Having that said, Tony walked past him and headed towards their destination without so much as glancing back at him. It cost him all his willpower to do so, but he managed.

 _He almost got me back there... How the hell am I gonna get through this? If he doesn't know already, he will after this. Christ, I'm gonna die…_

He continued on, trying his best not to let on how he felt. It was like walking on a tightrope with a blindfold, he wasn't sure if the next step he'll take would let him go on or be his death.

 _Calm down for fuck's sake! You're gonna step into that sauna, sit down and forget this whole thing. Just sit down and relax, simple as that._

"I heated it up in advance. Should be about right by now." he said as he opened the wooden door. Given the thoughts that kept rushing through his head, the overly neutral tone of his voice surprised him. He headed straight for his favorite spot, the very top left corner. "I suggest you start on the lower levels, it gets really hot up here."

"I figured." replied the other man as he picked a spot of his own. He sat down on the lower right corner and hunched his back, his elbows resting on his knees.

Tony closed his eyes and tried to pretend that he was alone, pushing back any and all dirty thoughts about the man that sat about two meters away from him.

 _Just sit back and relax like you were planning to. No more staring, no more thinking dirty. It's just you, your sauna and your relax-time. The fact that you're sitting here with a friend is just a bonus. A very nice bonus considering… No, goddammit! Stop thinking of him that way!_

He almost shook his head as he desperately tried to focus on something else. Even with his eyes closed, the image of a mostly naked, sweat-covered Captain America loomed before him like a sign of bad luck. He bowed his head and ran a hand through his hair as sweat started beading on his forehead.

 _Oh come on! How hard can this be?_

It was a rhetorical question, but the answer was clear. Very hard. He opened his eyes and looked straight ahead, trying to focus on the patterns in the wood in front of him and push away any other thoughts. Much to his dismay, such a menial task only made it worse. He had to try a different approach.

 _Maybe I should really start working on a new prototype…or try solving some advanced math problems, that always gets my attention for a while… Or how about- No, that's never gonna work._

He wasn't sure if it has been five, ten or fifteen minutes, but by the time he started thinking in terms of here and now again, he was absolutely desperate. It seemed like he tried everything and nothing was working. When it came to a suit prototype, he couldn't think of anything that he didn't already have. The math problems? He got bored of them within seconds. Focusing on something disgusting instead? No chance. He even tried counting sheep and when normal counting didn't work, he counted them backwards. Still, it wasn't helping.

 _Maybe if I sneak a peek…just for a second… It's not like he's gonna notice, right?_

He allowed his eyes to turn in the desired direction. Steve was still sitting there, the only change being his posture. Instead of being hunched over his knees, he'd pulled them up to his chest. That and he was covered in sweat. Mental images aside, this looked even better than any of Tony's fantasies. He stared at the other man with a mixture of admiration and lust and got so lost in his visual exploration that it took him a moment too long to notice that the object of his desire was looking back at him. There was something reflected in those blue eyes, a small flicker. Was it understanding? Scorn? Disgust?

Whichever the case, the other man averted his eyes and stood up: "It was, uh, interesting, but I think I'm gonna hit the showers now."

"Sure…" Tony heard himself say as the other man walked out of the door.

 _Now he_ knows…

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it :) As you could probably tell from the lovestruck puppy mode that Tony just entered we are nearing the end here. Stay tuned for chapter 11!**


	11. Questions answered

**Whew, finally finished this...hope you guys will enjoy it :)**

* * *

Steve growled as a wolf approximately the size of a grizzly bear slammed into him with full force. The beast bit and clawed at him in mindless rage, foam flying from its jaws. He pushed against his shield, trying his best to keep the snapping fangs as far as possible.

"Thor, what's your status?" he grunted as the creature pushed him flatter and flatter onto the concrete, its pack mates slowly ganging up on him.

"Loki is playing tricks on me, I am still tracking him." boomed the thunder god through the comm-link.

"When you find him...tell him...that jokes like this...ain't funny." panted the Captain as he wrestled with the wolf.

"Indeed." said Thor grimly.

So far the city was plagued by a pack of oversized wolves, a rampaging dragon and a monstrous sea serpent. There were loud roars echoing from the harbor where Hulk fought the serpent and lights flashing across the sky from the dragon's fire and Iron Man's repulsor beams. With Thor looking for his brother and Hawkeye trying his best to help Iron Man, it was up to him and Black Widow to handle the wolf pack. A task he would normally have no trouble executing, but today something was off. As it has been for some time now.

Since that one evening with Tony, he couldn't get his head in the game. He thought that he was ready for anything when he decided to befriend him, but apparently, he was just fooling himself. The whole thing happened two weeks ago and for two weeks straight, Steve avoided the other man as much as he could. It has reached a point in which he hardly said a word to him, all because of that look… The way he stared at him back in that sauna… He still couldn't believe it. Out of all the people the billionaire could possibly have, he wanted him.

 _But why? He hated me before, what could have changed his opinion that much?_

A bit of foam flew into his eye and for a moment, it seemed like he was back in battle. He brushed it off and tried to free himself by punching the beast in the jaw, but the only thing it earned him was even more snarling and gnashing of teeth.

 _I'm thinking in circles again. Need to focus._

There was a loud yelp as one of Natasha's bullets met its mark. The beast staggered backwards, giving Steve enough room to get up.

"Thanks." he said as he slammed his shield into the wolf's cheek.

With blood pouring from its chest and a blow to the head like that, he was expecting it to collapse but instead, it retaliated even more savagely than before. Steve jumped back hurriedly and raised his shield as its pack mates followed suit. He dodged and blocked the best he could, but the wolves just kept coming.

 _Get him out of your head. Just this once. You're gonna get someone killed._

Natasha ducked behind a car to reload: "What the hell are these things? It's like fighting a bunch of bears on steroids!"

"I don't know, whatever they-argh!"

Steve fell backwards as one of the wolves managed to bite down on his shin. He slammed it in the face with his shield, but the beast held on, growling loudly.

 _You're gonna get yourself killed. Even better._

Natasha darted towards him, firing into its head at point blank range. As the first two bullets lodged into its skull, its eyes went blank, but it took three more to make it let go. Steve grabbed her by her arm and pulled her down, protecting them both with his shield. His arm shook as the wolves bore down on them, pounding away at the metal. The smell of blood seemed to be driving them over the edge as their attacks grew more and more relentless.

Steve gritted his teeth with pain: "There's too many of them. We need…backup."

"Let me out."

"What?"

"We need a distraction, let me out."

"I'm gonna be the distraction. You just…" he trailed off as intense pain pulsed through his shin.

 _Losing a lot of blood there. Nice going, soldier…_

He inhaled sharply and continued: "Run and hide somewhere. Now that we know...how to take them out…all it takes is a few well-placed bullets."

"But your leg-"

 _Is what I get for not thinking straight._

"Is exactly…what they're after right now. I'll let you go...you start firing. Reload…if you have to. Ready?"

Natasha checked her guns: "Yeah."

Steve pulled the shield over himself, leaving her exposed: "Go!"

She sprung up and jumped on the nearest car, spraying the area with bullets. Four of the wolves collapsed right away, the remaining two moved after her snarling. Steve sat up as fast as the injured leg let him.

 _Get your moves right this time._

"Hey! Over here!" he yelled.

The wolves turned to him and Natasha was just about to jump into cover when the weather started to change. Within seconds, black clouds overshadowed the sun. The sky turned dark grey as the wind picked up. Just unpleasant and chilling at first, but it started getting stronger and within the next few seconds the blizzard hit with full force. Gale hurled snow and ice everywhere, making it almost impossible to see. Steve heard the sound of creaking metal and a muffled scream as the car Widow was standing on toppled over.

"Natasha!" he called out, the wind tearing the words out of his mouth.

 _Is Loki doing this? What the hell is going on?_

The wolves crouched down and bristled against the howling wind. Steve slammed his shield into the forming layer of ice, hoping that it would prevent him from getting blown into them. Much to his dismay, the eyes of the beasts remained ravenous. They started moving towards him, the only apparent change being their posture. It was as if they've hardly noticed the storm. Steve gripped his shield tighter and bowed his head against the flying shards of ice.

 _Come on, Rogers, you'd better think fast if you want to get out of this one._

He could hear their heavy breathing and bellowing growls just inches away from him.

 _Get out of here. There's nothing you can do if they catch you now._

He forced himself to move, ignoring a growing urge to look back.

 _Crawl if you have to, whatever you do, just keep moving._

There was a loud crash as something landed on the ground not far in front of him.

 _Probably another car. Keep going._

He cried out in pain as fangs dug deep into his injured leg. It was to be expected. He was dealing with predators and predators always went for the weak spot. He kicked the beast with his free leg to no avail. The sound of wrinkling metal and snapping bones resonated in his ears as something heavy landed right on top of him. There was a wave of sharp pain and a blinding flash of light, then everything went black.

* * *

Tony paced around the room nervously, his steps echoing heavily. Even though it has been three hours since their fight ended, he still didn't bother to remove his suit. That could wait, what really mattered right now was the bed in front of him and the man lying in it.

 _He should've been up by now. They've stopped the bleeding and it's not like a few broken bones stopped him before._

A thought that has been repeatedly crossing his mind ever since he brought him in. By now it was nearing the point in which it drove him crazy. To make matters even worse, his hands were shaking almost uncontrollably. Had to be the lack of sleep and caffeine overdose kicking in. He already went into the fight without sleeping for two days and now this had to happen.

"Come on, Rogers, stop doing this to me!" he growled at the unconscious soldier. "You're mad at me for what I did last time, I get it. Point taken. Would you wake the fuck up now?!"

As expected, the other man remained motionless, the only sign of life being his shallow breathing. The billionaire ran a hand across his scalp and ruffled his already shaggy hair.

 _Great, now I'm talking to myself._

"Perhaps it would be wise to rest, sir."

"Shut up, JARVIS..." He pushed his fingers into his eyes. "I can't. Not when he's like this."

"You truly are fond of him, sir."

Tony looked back at the bed: "That's a huge understatement and you know it."

"I'm pretty sure he will be alright, sir. Captain Rogers is very resilient."

As if to prove him right, Steve groaned quietly and shifted under the covers.

Tony leaned over the bed hurriedly: "Cap, can you hear me?"

The other man furrowed his brow, his jaw clenching as he grunted with pain: "Yeah."

He opened his eyes and looked back at him, his gaze slightly unfocused. It was apparent that he was struggling not to cry out.

"How...bad?" he managed to push out of himself.

"Well, aside from the bruising, a huge bite on your leg, three broken ribs, a broken arm, a broken collar bone and a concussion as far as I know."

Much to his surprise, the other man chuckled. "Ah!" he growled as the broken ribs moved. "Should be...fine...tomorrow...or day...after that..." He closed his eyes against the pain and inhaled sharply. "You know...what sucks about it...the most?"

"Aside from you having me worry my ass off? I'm not sure." remarked Tony sarcastically.

Steve almost chuckled again, but stopped himself just in time: "I get...no slack... Painkillers...don't work..." He looked back at him, his gaze focused this time. "I'm not mad...You just...confused me...I was...afraid..."

At this point it was getting difficult to understand him and Tony had to listen closely to make out what he said. When he did, he almost wished he hadn't.

 _He heard me...oh shit, he heard me..._

He decided to do what he did best in those kinds of situations and play dumb: "What are you talking about?"

Steve sighed with both exasperation and pain. It was hard enough for him to talk as it was and he wasn't in the mood for explaining himself twice.

"You know, Tony." he grunted. "What will it take...to make you stop?"

Tony shifted on his feet nervously and looked away: "Stop thinking about you?"

"Stop...messing with me. Talk to me...openly."

The billionaire glared at him: "You're the one who started pretending not to know me. What was I supposed to do? I was hoping you'd at least tell me to go fuck myself, but instead you just refused to do anything about it!"

Steve shook his head. "You're the one...with a crush..."

Tony's face started flushing red: "I..."

"Is it so hard...to just...ask me?"

The billionaire's eyes almost widened with surprise. Out of all the things the other man could possibly say to him, this seemed like the one least likely.  
 _Is he suggesting...?_

"Trust me." Steve contiuned. "I know...what it's like. To love someone...you can't have. Or in your case...think...you can't have."

Now Tony's eyes went wide for real: "Are you saying-"

The blonde shook his head. "I don't know. But I want to...find out. For both our sakes." He tilted his head back into the pillow and closed his eyes: "Ask me... While you can."

Tony rubbed the back of his head gingerly: "So uh, it's a date? I mean, after you get through this."

 _Oh you mumbling idiot..._

His opinion was confirmed by the other man's eye roll: "If only...I could use my arm...to give this...the reaction it deserves..." He continued with a half-smile: "But yeah...it's a date. Be ready...in two days. I will be...for sure."

"So...dinner at my place at 8?" asked Tony, still hardly able to comprehend what they were talking about.

"Sounds good. Now get out...you're shaking like a...chihuahua. Get some sleep...and don't worry about me."

"Do you ever stop giving orders?" asked the billionaire in an attempt to return the joke.

Steve looked back at him: "You know me. Now scram."

* * *

 **There you go, Tony's dreams are finally coming true! The next chapter will be the last one, but I want to make it worth it, so it might take a while...still, if you've made it this far, please bear with me :P**


	12. Say my name

**Well, this is it, the grand finale! I shall delay you no longer, read on :)**

* * *

Tony rubbed the back of his neck and took in a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself. Two days have passed and it was almost time. His wrist watch showed 7:59PM and he knew that the other man could walk in any second now. It was driving him crazy, that anxiety, anticipation... Fear. He almost caught himself thinking that he hasn't been this nervous since Afghanistan.

 _Nonsense._ he thought to himself. _This was his idea, stop panicking. He wants to do this. Maybe he's into you, maybe he's not... You're trying your best here, so don't ruin it before it even starts._

That observation was spot-on. He was wearing his best suit and the most expensive cologne he could get his hands on. He even did his hair. In fact, he wasn't sure if he'd ever used that much hair gel before. There were candles on the table and food from one of the most exquisite restaurants in the city, so it was bound to be delicious. Pretty much the only thing missing was a bottle of champagne, but Tony knew better than that. He was sure that his date wouldn't approve.

 _Especially after he went through so much trouble to make me quit... Ugh... What a way to ease my nerves._

The door slid open.

"Hi." greeted Steve as he stepped in. "Oh, wow. Nice. At first I was worried that I'd overdo it if I put on a suit, but now I'm glad I did." he said with a smile.

"Hi..." replied Tony almost breathlessly. It was evident that the suit was doing the other man justice, maybe even a little too much.

 _Oh shit, he just looks perfect in anything..._

In a desperate attempt to look like anything but a drooling fanboy, the billionaire asked: "How's the arm? And the rest?"

Steve sat down opposite of him: "Still a little itchy here and there. But nothing's broken anymore."

"I'm glad you made it."

"I'm glad you made it too, you looked terrible back there. Cut down on the caffeine and sleep sometimes."

"I was hoping we'd avoid lectures today." said Tony with a raised eyebrow. "And FYI, I slept like a baby in those last two days."

"I'm just being honest with you." replied Steve, flashing him one of his trademark half-smiles. He uncovered his plate, revealing what appeared to be enough food for two grown men.

"I've seen you eat on more than one occasion so I ordered for three." said Tony in his "just by the way" tone.

"Can't help it." shrugged Steve.

 _With a body like that? I'm sure you- Oh shit..._

Tony almost shook his head trying to stop himself from saying that out loud. Or even thinking about it.

"All part of the package, I know." he said instead. "Hope you've got nothing against beef."

"I'm not picky." replied the other man just before he took the first bite. "Besides, this is great."

"It'd better be. I went through hell and back to have it delivered here. Well, not literally, but it's not like these guys do takeout on a regular basis. Took a lot of convincing to make them do it."

"I'm pretty sure your charm worked wonders." teased Steve as he took a sip from his water.

 _Whoa... Is he hitting on me?_

"Almost. Had to throw in a little extra too." Tony shot back as he reached for his own glass, his mouth feeling dry suddenly.

"Definitely worth it." said the other man in between the bites. "I'm not sure when was the last time I ate something this good, if ever."

"Glad you like it." replied Tony as he dug into his own meal, trying to ignore the butterflies fluttering about in his stomach.

There was a moment of silence. At first, he thought that Steve was completely focused on his food, but then, he looked up and for a second, blue met brown. Tony averted his eyes quickly, thoughts racing. He didn't want him to see, didn't want him to find out, but it was too late. Even from the corner of his eye he could see that the blonde was giving him that signature knowing look of his. He was reading him like an open book despite his best efforts and Tony wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"Stop it." said Steve as he put aside his fork. "You're being childish."

"What are you talking about?" asked Tony as he started playing with his food, trying to put on a poker face.

"Can we skip the part where you stare at your food awkwardly and just jump right into conversation?" the other man shot back, the corners of his lips tugging up slightly. "Let's be open about this, remember?"

Tony looked back at him, eyebrow raised: "When did you become so-"

"Blunt? You started it in that sauna, remember? You were pretty obvious about what you wanted back there."

Tony almost spat out the water he was drinking: "You were naked and I-" He paused mid-sentence, his face slightly flushing. "I mean...I wanted you to be."

 _Oh you fucking idiot...you just said that out loud..._

Much to his surprise, the other man simply chuckled: "I know."

Tony fumbled for words like a drowning man reaches for a straw: "I mean..."

"Thanks."

"What?"

Steve stared at him directly, his expression turning serious: "For the compliment. I appreciate it."

Tony looked like he was ready to pinch himself.

 _What the hell?_

"You're a good looking guy, Tony. Earning a compliment from someone like you is always a pleasure."

At that, the other man's jaw almost dropped: "You...like me? I mean, are you-"

This time, it was Steve's gaze that moved sideways: "I am. Always have been. That's why I got so upset that one time when you teased me about Thor. I didn't want you to find out." He looked back at him. "There are only two other people that know this... At first, I wasn't sure if I should tell you, but... You're one of the few friends I have and I asked you to be honest with me, so I figured that I should be honest with you, too."

"Who knows? Widow? Fury?"

Steve shook his head: "They had no way to find out. No intel they've gathered on me has that information." A hint of a smile appeared on his face. "You've said it yourself. My time wasn't very forgiving towards people like me. I hid it and no one ever asked. They just assumed that I was like everyone else and I let them. There were moments when I couldn't live with myself because of the way I was...so I told Bucky. I intended to keep it that way, but later on, Peggy found out." This time, the smile was real. "Once she got to know me a little, she saw right through me. And she helped me. The little make-believe about me and her dating...that was her idea. She was a remarkable woman. Smart, brave... If I wouldn't be the way I am, I would want to be with her for real." His smile faltered. "You scared me that evening. I didn't know what to do because I've never seen another man look at me that way...it just wasn't right. You were always chasing girls, even your S.H.I.E.L.D. file states that you're a womanizer."

"My S.H.I.E.L.D. file is full of shit. I thought we were clear on that." said Tony, crossing his arms. "It just fails to capture my charm." he continued with a smirk. "Do you know what I really like? Diversity. There are women and there are men. Now how do I make the most out of my sex life? By limiting myself to women? I don't think so."

Steve furrowed his brow: "I don't understand."

Tony's smirk turned into an impish grin: "I don't care if you have a pussy or a cock. Whichever it is, I'll take it."

This time, Steve's face flushed a little: "Oh. So you're...um..."

"Bisexual and guess what, S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't know that either. Nobody does for sure. I just gave them the impression that if I'm drunk enough, I'll sleep with anything that moves."

"You've got to be-"

"Joking? When it comes to my sexuality, I'm never joking."

"Guess that's what I get for wanting you to be honest with me."

"No, it's what you get for prancing around the gym in those tight t-shirts and expecting me to just let it slide."

Steve fidgeted nervously, his face flushing red once more: "I-"

"Don't." said Tony as he leaned closer and grabbed him by the collar. Their eyes met. "Just trust me on this one."

Without saying one more word, he pulled him into a kiss. At first he was careful, simply savoring the other man's tender lips on his own. They didn't move much and there were moments when it looked like he'd pull away, but he stayed. Not returning the kiss, but simply staying where he was. Tony mentally laughed at his shyness. He loved it when they played hard to get.

Wasting no more time, he used his free hand to grasp the back of his neck and dug his fingers into the golden hair that he loved so much. He deepened the kiss, trying to get him worked up enough to kiss back. The corners of his lips quirked up in a smile as he heard the other man's breathing pick up. It took all but three seconds to make him nibble at his lower lip and start returning the kiss. A little hesitantly, but returning it no less. Tony suckled on his lips appreciatively. If only he could come closer...

He tried moving the table with his legs to allow himself the closure he craved for when Steve broke the kiss. His mouth was slightly open and he was looking at him with a mixture of surprise and understanding. There was no need for words. They both got up, Steve pushed the table aside and Tony walked up to him, seizing their lips in another kiss. He pushed the other man backwards until he pinned him against the wall. He was steadying himself against the wall with his left hand, while the right one ran through the other man's hair. Closing his eyes and leaning deeper into the kiss, he could feel Steve's hands move. One of them rested on the back of his neck while the other one slid down to his waist.

It took just this one touch to make him lose all interest in foreplay. He leaned his full weight against the soldier and prodded at his lips with his tongue, hoping he would let him in. Much to his relief, Steve didn't seem to mind at all and opened up all too willingly. Tony shoved his tongue deep inside, savoring the hot wetness of the other man's mouth. He grinded his knee against the other man's crotch and teased him while he started unbuttoning his shirt.

By the time he was done with it, Steve was almost moaning. His hand moved to grasp his lover's ass while the other one reached down and rubbed against his manhood. Tony inhaled sharply and struggled with the shirt, trying his best to remove it. Steve broke off the kiss and pulled back for a moment to remove the culprit himself. Tony's eyes completely clouded with lust as he looked at that perfect chest and abs, rising and falling with every breath. He moved his gaze up towards Steve's flushed face.

"Your turn."he demanded almost breathlessly.

Steve grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a bruising kiss, all the while trying to rip off his shirt. Tony was helping him the best he could and in a moment, he was half-naked as well. Flesh on flesh, Tony pushed Steve against the wall once more except this time, his teasing got more intense. He undid the soldier's pants and pulled them down, leaving him naked except for his briefs. One of his hands slid down and grabbed hold of his balls while the other one teased his cock gently.

Steve writhed under his touch and let out a pleasured moan, grasping him tighter. Tony smiled as he felt the other man's cock harden in his hand. It took all but five seconds to get him completely hard. He let go for a moment and grasped his briefs with both hands as if asking for permission. Much to his surprise, the other man grabbed hold of his hands and pulled them down himself, but it didn't end at that. He kicked down his pants, shoes and briefs, grabbed Tony by his hair and pushed him down on his knees. The billionaire took a moment to savor his lover's naked form before doing as he demanded and taking him in his mouth.

Steve moaned with pleasure and let go of him, steadying himself against the wall. Tony's head bobbed back and forth in a deliciously obscene way, taking in as much as his throat let him. It was just as he thought, Steve had a cock unlike anything he'd seen before. Apparently, the serum gave him one more superpower that no one knew about. No matter, he always liked them big. Mentally grinning to himself, he sped up and let his own cock slide out of his pants. Steve tilted his head back and panted heavily.

"Faster." he growled.

Tony did as he was told and started stroking himself, letting out a few pleasured moans of his own. His head and hand moved in unison, getting them both off just right. At this point, Steve wasn't sure how much more he could take without exploding. He took in a shallow breath and almost slid down the wall as Tony proceeded to tease and tempt him in the most sadistic way he could muster. He went down on him fast and always stopped seconds before Steve's orgasm.

"Tony..." he managed to push out of himself.

He wasn't sure if the other man heard him or ended it out of his own initiative, but this time, the pleasure didn't stop. Tony sucked on him hard and fast and Steve almost screamed as hot semen poured out of his cock into his lover's mouth. His knees bucked and he had to use all his strength not to fall down. He could hear Tony moan as well and flinched a little as something hot and sticky landed on his foot.

Both men slid down on the floor panting. Steve was sitting down while Tony laid on his side, breathing heavily. There was a moment of silence before the billionaire managed to push out of himself: "Hey...I didn't count on you being so...direct. But I like it."

Steve almost rolled his eyes and spoke in between breaths: "Tony, please... At this point...I really think there's nothing wrong...with you...finally saying my name. Please...just call me Steve."

Tony sat up and looked at him: "Alright then...Steve."

* * *

 **I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me till the end here :) Thank you guys, your faves and follows were what kept me going, but it's time to wrap this up. The two are now officially a couple so I have no more to do here. I'm probably going to write a couple of one-shots about them later on, similar stuff like I do with Superman and Batman, but I'm not doing something as big as this again xD So once again, thank you, and I'll see you guys in my next one-shot, whether it's going to be about those two or the other dynamic duo ^^**


End file.
